Follow KPCC

ICE secretary visits LA, promises expanded deportations

Share

The new head of the federal immigration enforcement agency is visiting Southern California.

In an interview with KPCC, John Morton promised more deportations of undocumented immigrants in local jails.

John Morton: "We are focused first and foremost on serious offenders and the worst of the worst, but I don't want to suggest that simply because, simply because someone has committed a less serious offense, that that is somehow, is a pass for remaining in the country, particularly if you are already here unlawfully."

Under a new federal program scheduled to start next month, officials plan to check the immigration status of everyone booked into Los Angeles County Jail – not just people convicted of crimes. Immigrant rights activists say the program will lead to the break-up of more families who’ve lived and worked in the region for decades.